1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to protective wear for use in activities such as in-line skating or the like. More particularly, this invention pertains to a joint guard for protecting a knee or an elbow of a user during such activities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In-line skating has become very popular. In order to protect a skater from injuries resulting from falls, skaters typically wear protective gear such as helmets, knee guards, elbow guards and wrist guards.
Knee and elbow guards perform a similar purpose of protecting the knee and elbow from impact or abrasion in the event of a fall. Numerous designs of elbow guards and knee guards are available. However, many such designs are cumbersome to the user and uncomfortable to wear. Further, such knee and elbow guards are typically dedicated to use on either the left or right joints of the user. Namely, a knee guard designed for use on the right knee of the user cannot comfortably be used on the left knee of the user. The absence of interchangeability between the left and the right joints is particularly frustrating for children who may frequently attempt to wear the joint guard on the wrong joint. Where joint guards are uncomfortable or awkward to put on or use, a skater may, out of frustration, elect not to wear a joint guard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a joint guard which is comfortable to wear and easy to use. It is a further object of the present invention to provided such a joint guard which is interchangeable for use on either the right and left joints of the user.